Brandon's POV
The moment he said, "Hello?" everything became real.
Up until that second, it had all been theory—suspicion and half-formed thoughts I had shoved aside whenever they grew too loud. But hearing Garrett Donovan's voice on the other end of the line made it feel tangible.
It meant I was crossing a line. It meant I was choosing doubt over blind trust.
My throat dried. I gripped the phone tighter, my back resting against the locker, the phone pressed to my ear. For a split second, I considered hanging up—pretending it was a mistake, pretending I wasn't about to unravel the one thing in my life that felt steady.
But it was too late.
"Is this Garrett Donovan?" I finally managed, my voice cracking halfway through his name.
"Yes," he replied cautiously. "Who is this?"
My mind blanked. The words I had rehearsed vanished. Silence stretched between us.
"Hello?" he prompted. "How can I help you?"
